Samurai Arm Guard

Left sleeve of a pair of black-lacquered, iron, oda (also called kaga) style samurai arm guards (tetsu kuro urushi nuri oda-gote). The Oda or Kaga style is distinguished by the presence of gourd-like metal plates (hyotan-gane). The sleeve is separated into upper and lower sections separated at the elbow and connected with toggles made of horn. The exterior fabric is of blue silk with metallic gold thread woven throughout in a flower and ivy pattern. The interior fabric is a coarse blue material. The fabrics are joined at an edge made of an inner strip of burgundy thread and an outer strip of blue cloth with two light brown threads stitched throughout. Nearly all of the exposed exterior is covered with mail (kusari) made of small, circular links. The upper portion of the sleeve is a wide and bag-like rather than form-fitting. This wider sleeve allows the arm guard to cover the underarm and chest where breaks in the armor may not normally protect.

The upper arm has six flanking, ridged, rectangular splints or "rafts" (ikada) around a central, ribbed, gourd-like plate, all coated with black lacquer. Similarly, the lower arm has six ikada coated with black lacquer around a single large, ribbed, gourd-like plate. The hand guard (tekko) is made of four black-lacquered plates. The plate guarding the back of the palm is decorated with a family crest, mon, depicting a cloisonne inside a circle (丸に七宝). The elbow plate (hijigane) is in the shape of a chrysanthemum with an outer ring of petals broken out into four sections. The sleeve is tightened and tied with brown silk cords and secured with toggles.